We here at Lo-Ping are pumped for E3, we know you are too. You’re an avid gamer who likes to stay up to date on the latest and greatest news of the industry, whether you’re reading up about it on a website or watching a live stream of the Video Game Awards show, suffering through all the celebrity crap just to get to the new game trailers.

We’ve decided that we’re going to get the E3 ball rolling a little early with this six part series which covers everything about the show; from its humble beginnings to our most beloved (and worst) memories of the expo, as well as spilling the beans on the rumors and what we each expect to see from each of the big three conferences.

Jamal

E3 is without a doubt the highlight of the gaming year. Presentations that the Big Three and major publishers give make or break their fiscal quarters, and they know it. So it’s understood that there’s a lot of pomp and circumstance when E3 comes around. I just love the festival air around the whole thing; everyone presenting their best faces and putting on the best shows they can. This can either be a huge success that drives the crowd into frenzy, or a shameful display that creates internet fodder for years to come.

I look forward most to the presentations of games rather than the games themselves. Shocking, no? Like I said, it’s the festival air that thrills me most, more so than the games themselves.

Gavin

In recent years my gaming tastes have aged a bit from my roots of the PS2 days. So few good platformers are released these days and such mind-blowingly fun and replayable experiences like Halo: Reach or Portal 2 are available to scratch my gaming itch without having to delve into my small collection of PS2 games I’ve held onto over the years out of loyalty to the developers and the games themselves. Now, dear reader, you know why both of my eagerly awaited games are from the PS2 era of gaming.

This year at E3 I’m looking forward to the official announcement of Sly 4, which was teased in a teensy tiny eensy weensy trailer hidden within The Sly Collection blu-ray re-release of the first three games. A stealth-based platformer made by Sucker Punch running on a PS3’s hardware and trophies as standard? Yes please! InFAMOUS is a good series and I quite enjoyed the time I spent with Cole ‘n the gang last year but if there’s anything Sucker Punch can learn it’s that they should follow the Insomniac method of flip-flopping the serious and the cartoony games every time, with something small to whet the appetite of the other side like Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One on a Resistance year.

Speaking of Insomniac, the “I wish it would happen” item I’m looking forward to hearing about is a Ratchet & Clank Collection. Sly did well, why can’t the first game series I ever fell in love with get the same treatment? HD Ratchet where you actually have to, y’know, collect stuff again would be pretty damn sweet if you ask me. I loved A Crack in Time and Tools of Destruction but they never captured the perfection that was Up Your Arsenal.

Kyle

As an avid gamer, E3 is one of the most exciting times of the year for me. With all the major announcements, trailers, and live demos of upcoming games, it’s impossible not to be glued to my computer for the entire week.

This year, I’m looking forward to hearing more about Skyrim and Mass Effect 3. I’ve been waiting to hear details about a collector’s edition of Skyrim and E3 seems like the ideal time for Bethesda to make such an announcement. There’s also been a lot of talk lately about Nintendo’s new HD console, which is set to be revealed to the public. I suspect it’s going to be one of, if not the most talked about showing at this year’s expo. Nothing short of a Half Life 3 announcement could top the media buzz that’s been building up around it since the rumors first surfaced.

Karl

E3 is without a doubt my favourite time of the year; from the reactions of the crowd to the around-the-clock interviews on the showroom floor, this is the week of the gamer and I never miss a minute of it.

I always have a tradition of stocking up on snacks, soda and beer followed by watching recaps of old conferences (mainly the funniest moments) and logging in to my favourite videogame forum about two hours beforehand to get hyped up with all the familiar faces. As soon as I see a huge gaming icon appear on stage like Hideo Kojima, Gabe Newell or Shigeru Miyamoto, I go wild with excitement over what they’re about to tell me.

This year I’m hoping to see more stuff from Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the game was announced nearly two years ago and we’ve hardly seen anything of it other than a few cutting mechanics. It’d also be nice to see Naughty Dog announce a full co-op campaign mode for Uncharted 3, especially after experiencing the great albeit short co-op missions of Uncharted 2. And my final wish, the one we’ve all been waiting somewhat patiently for over the last four years; Half Life 3.

So what is it that makes E3 a special occasion for YOU? Is there anything special you’re hoping to see this year? Sound off in the comment section below.

Next week we’ll be focusing our panda eyes on Microsoft. They’ve been extremely quiet this year so we’re going to search every corner of the internet to find the rumors, hints and quotes that will give us some idea of what to expect.